Which statement about fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is true?

Which statement about fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is true?

• A. It provides detailed information about tissue architecture.
• B. It yields small cell yields that can be adequate and provides no information about architecture.
• C. It requires a core needle.
• D. It is not suitable for cytology.

Answer: (B)

Fine-needle aspiration is a cytology technique that samples cells with a very thin needle. Because it retrieves cells rather than a solid piece of tissue, the material usually shows individual cells or small clusters and does not preserve the tissue architecture you’d see in a biopsy. The number of cells obtained can be small but still adequate for diagnosis when prepared and interpreted skillfully. A core needle biopsy, by contrast, retrieves a larger piece of tissue with preserved architecture. FNA is indeed used for cytology, so the statement that it isn’t suitable for cytology is incorrect.

Fine-needle aspiration is a cytology technique that samples cells with a very thin needle. Because it retrieves cells rather than a solid piece of tissue, the material usually shows individual cells or small clusters and does not preserve the tissue architecture you’d see in a biopsy. The number of cells obtained can be small but still adequate for diagnosis when prepared and interpreted skillfully. A core needle biopsy, by contrast, retrieves a larger piece of tissue with preserved architecture. FNA is indeed used for cytology, so the statement that it isn’t suitable for cytology is incorrect.